Select board remembers Jeff Norton

At their Monday meeting, the Edgartown select board observed a moment of silence for longtime Edgartown resident, attorney, and former town meeting moderator Jeff Norton, who passed away at age 84 on Saturday.

Norton grew up in Edgartown, select board chair Margaret Serpa said. “He knew everybody. [He] was always in town, and was always friendly and pleasant … he was a wonderful moderator.”

“He would greet you on the street,” Serpa continued, “and answer any questions you had.”

Select board member Arthur Smadbeck recalled meeting Norton upon first moving to Edgartown in 1990. “I was nervous as hell going into his office the first time,” Smadbeck said, adding that he quickly found that Norton was “very kind, and very generous with his advice … he had it on real estate, he had it on politics, he had it on the town.”

Not only was he a valuable mentor, Smadbeck added, “his wit was beyond comparison; [he] always had something funny to say.”

“I will miss him tremendously,” Smadbeck said, “I do miss him tremendously.” 

Select board member Michael Donaroma harkened to Norton’s time moderating at town meetings. Not only was Norton an extremely efficient moderator, Donaroma said, “he kept a sense of humor so we could get things done … No matter how long the meetings were, he never had to go back a second night.” 

Additionally, Donaroma said, “No matter how controversial a subject might be, [Norton] always had a funny comment or sense of humor. I think it was because he knew everybody in town; he knew their childhood … He knew what they complained about at the last meeting.”

“He and his family have done so much for the town,” Donaroma added, “He will be missed.”